Brands Hatch info: Fender and Hasse-Clot headline GT3 changes

Angus Fender and Valentin Hasse-Clot will both make their British GT3 debuts at Brands Hatch this weekend as part of changes to Century and Beechdean AMR’s senior class line-ups.

Fender graduates from Century’s GT4 line-up to partner Jack Mitchell in the same team’s BMW M6 GT3, which also switches to the Silver Cup class. Mitchell was left without a full-season co-driver when injury forced Adrian Willmott to withdraw before Snetterton, since when the reigning GT4 champion has been partnered by JM Littman and Tom Gamble.

Century boss and British GT4 race winner Nathan Freke takes Fender’s place alongside Andrew Gordon-Colebrooke. Freke still holds the class’ qualifying lap record around Brands Hatch, which he set in 2016.

There’s also a new face aboard Beechdean AMR’s Aston Martin, which now features 23-year-old Hasse-Clot. The Frenchman has raced the same model in ADAC GT Masters this year having previously won his domestic Porsche Carrera Cup rookie title.

He partners Andrew Howard, who returns to British GT after skipping Spa due to his clashing Le Mans Cup commitments in Barcelona.

In other news, a change to minimum stint lengths will see starting drivers pit at different times on Sunday. Previously, all starting drivers had to complete a minimum of one-hour. At Brands, GT4 drivers can now stop after 58 minutes, while GT3 entries must complete 62 minutes before pitting. As before, there is no pit window.

Meanwhile, Brands Hatch’s traditional early-morning pitwalk and driver autograph session will take place at 09:05 – 09:45 on Sunday. Fans are reminded to arrive early at the top of Paddock Hill Bend before being escorted across the track.

Those following the action trackside and at home on British GT’s livestream will also be eager to keep track of both Drivers’ Championships, which could be decided at Brands Hatch. Sam De Haan and Jonny Cocker (Barwell Motorsport) plus Seb Priaulx and Scott Maxwell (Multimatic Motorsports) must win their respective class and rely on other results to have any chance of sealing the crown on Sunday. Check out the permutations below.

Coverage of British GT’s penultimate round begins at 12:40 on Sunday, while the two-hour race gets underway at 13:00. Watch it live in the company of Andy Jaye, Andy McEwan and Joe Osborne right here on the championship’s website, British GT’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, and SRO’s GT World Youtube channel.

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP PERMUTATIONS

Sam De Haan and Jonny Cocker (#69) will be crowned GT3 champions on Sunday if they win and:

Adam Balon and Phil Keen (#72) finish fail to finish in the top-10.

Ollie Wilkinson and Bradley Ellis (#96) finish fifth or lower.

Graham Davidson and Jonny Adam (#47) finish third or lower.

Ian Loggie and Callum Macleod (#6) finish second or lower.

Seb Priaulx and Scott Maxwell (#15) will be crowned GT4 champions on Sunday if they win and: